This week on the podcast we check in with Abbey Sass of Civil Sass Hops. Civil Sass Hops is a hops yard on a third-generation family farm in Chatfield, MN, owned by Abbey and her husband Jake Sass. Civil Sass Hops is a woman and veteran owned business. On the show today, we sit down with Abbey and talk about:

· Her introduction to southeast Minnesota as a Kansas native and the rural tourism she sees taking place now outside of Rochester.

· How the dichotomy of the name Civil Sass Hops reflects the culture of the business.

· The history of hops growth in Minnesota.

· The value of fresh hops in local beers.

· How hops factor into the beer brewing process.

· Abbey’s career as an interior designer, designing hotels nationwide.

· Her husband Jake’s entrepreneurial passion from a young age and how they collaborate as a husband/wife team to run Civil Sass Hops.

· The importance of open and honest communication in running a business.

· The next steps for Civil Sass Hops, including an expansion of acreage and increased collaboration efforts, both with new breweries and with markets that might be just a bit unexpected for hops.

This week on the podcast we talk with the ladies behind EatRochMN: Cheyenne Labott and Katie Zupancic Wymer. EatRochMN is a food blog and popular Instagram account started about one year ago where the girls tour through the Rochester food scene, creating meaningful connections and making Rochester feel a little bit more like home. The EatRochMN Instagram account recently hit 1000 followers as Cheyenne and Katie continue their food adventures around the city. This week on the podcast we talk about what drew these transplants to Rochester in the first place, the growth of EatRochMN over the past year, and what they’re looking forward to in Rochester’s food scene this year.

“We just want to keep eating. So, the more that we can get out there, the better!” -Katie Zupancic Wymer

This week on the podcast we talk with Garret Sorensen of Mandala Tea. This business imports and sells Chinese and Taiwanese teas and tea accessories and is based in Rochester, Minnesota. On the show today we talk about the meditative and health benefits of tea, the different types of tea, and how to hold a proper tea service. Garret also shared how the business has grown and developed over the last 13 years of operation, especially through an increased online and social media presence, and how the Mandala Tea was recently revitalized after he almost walked away from it all.

“I think that one of the things is, as far as business success for myself, is not being afraid to ask for help.” – Garret Sorensen

Welcome to our first podcast of 2018! This week, we sit down with Derrick Chapman, owner of Twisted Barrel Wood Fired Pizza. This audio is from our very latest video #Emerge series, where we have a low-key discussion with an entrepreneur in the Rochester community. This week on the podcast, we talk about the growth of the mobile food unit industry in Rochester, how Derrick’s been navigating his first year “all in” with his food truck business, and what he does at the end of the calendar year to prep for the next twelve months.

“The one thing you have to do is sacrifice when you want something to succeed. If you’re not willing to make those sacrifices, then you’re not going to get any bigger or anywhere beyond where you’re already at.” –Derrick Chapman, Owner of Twisted Barrel Wood Fired Pizza

To find the most updated locations for the food truck, link up with their Facebook page or download the Twisted Barrel app.

This week, we listen in on some audio from the very first 1 Million Cups Rochester. We had two Rochester entrepreneurs speak at this event: Tori Utley of Tinua and Derrick Chapman of Twisted Barrel Wood Fired Pizza.

Tinua is developing a digital platform and mobile application to transform unused funds on gift cards into tools they believe can save lives.